It all started when I bought an engine from Jesse Noll (Highline Motor Sports AKA Highline Automotive).
It was advertised as a built up, race ready engine with only a couple hundred miles on it after the build.
Well being that I'm a fulltime student, I wasn't able to get the engine into my car for a couple months (This wasnt my daily driver at the time, so i wasnt in a big rush). Once I got the engine all hooked up, it ran like crap and there was a LOUD ticking/knocking noise.
Link: http://s102.photobucket.com/albums/m89/imagine-02/car%20stuff/?action=view&current=ticktickgoesmynewengine.flv

So I called Jesse and he said that he would NOT refund my money even if I gave him the engine back. He offered to rebuild it which was ok I guess, but he wanted me to pay for it!
Eventually we came to an agreement that he would rebuild it for me at a reduced cost. I was pissed, but I bit the bullet.
It took him several several several months to rebuild it and in the process he lost my brand new ACT clutch. Luckily he found it.

When I went to pick up my engine, the oil filter housing and knock sensor was missing and sensors on the water neck were broken. He said he would send me another oil filter housing, but never did. I even emailed and called him several times, but he just ignored me.
Some nice customer service for someone that just spent a couple thousand dollars at his shop, huh?

After I got the engine back, I wasn't able to find the missing parts for a reasonable price before I had to move away for college, so I couldnt finish putting the engine back in. During the school year I got an email from one of Jesse's friends. His friend told me the real story behind my engine...

Direct quote from the email he sent me,

"i have proof he sold you a motor that was junk.. our friend jerry originaly paid jesse to build the motor, the motor spun a rod bearing within 2 minutes of runtime after jerry and I had the motor back in the car, then jesse put new rod bearings in and it spun another one within 2 minutes of run time.
the motor got pulled out, car parted out and it sat at the shop until you bought it, i dont know if he put a new rod bearing in it or what, but i do know he told me that a rod wasnt true and taht was the cause when he had to rebuild it for you.
I also know that he has had multiple issues with people localy around here including myself and others who were suposed to be good friends. He stole an evo transmission from me, 2 other motors he rebuilt had problems shortly after installed, and way too many other little things to mention.
my sister is in the proccess of filing into small claims court for the evo transmission."

Well after hearing that, I didn't trust that Jesse built my engine right this time.
So my friend and I tore down the engine to see what we would find...

- Tons and tons of silicon. (We don't even know if its silicon for an engine. It's clear and looks like bathroom caulk.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/P3260450.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/P3260449.jpg
- Mismatched bolts throughout the entire engine.
- Bolt missing from the water pump.
- Timing belt tensioner was shot.
- One of the rods was stained blue/purple from way to much heat. (Jesse told me that he got new rods for the engine when he rebuilt it)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/P3260446.jpg
- It had ARP main studs which was nice, but there was a random nut inplace of an ARP nut.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/P3260451.jpg
- Wrong sized washers on two of the main studs.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/P3260452.jpg
- When doing a BSE (balance shaft elimination) you have to put silicon on the bolt in the middle there.... there wasnt any, surprising seeing how much there was everywhere else.
- Scratches on the main bearings. (Jesse told me that he put all new main bearings in)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/P3260453.jpg
- Broken off bolt for the oil pan.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/P3300474.jpg
- The tops of the main studs were scratched up. Looks like he drug the engine across the floor while they were installed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/P3300476.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/P3300477.jpg
- 3 or 4 different style main caps.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/P4010498.jpg
- Cams and cam bearings are all gouged up. (The dammage is so bad that the head is junk)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/IMG_0547.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/IMG_0548.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/IMG_0540.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/IMG_0539.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/IMG_0542.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/IMG_0543.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/IMG_0545.jpg
- Missing exhaust manifold stud.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/stagen/Zachs%20Talon/IMG_0549.jpg

Plus everything looks like it was slapped together by a 5 year old.

At this point, I have no idea what to do about this situation.
I have spent thousands of dollars on a junk engine.
I gave Jesse a second chance to make things right by rebuilding the engine, but obviously he couldnt even do that right.

 

Holy **** that sucks.

 

Jesse and I are in the process of resolving the situation.
If this works out, I'll be content.

 

How are you expecting that the situation be resolved?

 

He is supposed to be giving me the money back that I originally payed for the engine and he is getting the engine back.
I'm still out a couple hundred bucks and two years of not being able to drive my car though.

 

That's a really messed up situation...

Best of luck to you!

 

Update:
I took the engine back to Jesse and he gave me the money back that I originally paid for the engine. But, he did not give me back the money that I had to pay him for the engine to be rebuilt, so I’m still out a couple hundred bucks and two years of not being able to drive my car.

Conclusion:
Doing a google search or searching on DSM forums about Jesse and his shop, you can see that people have had bad business experiences with Jesse. But, obviously other people have had good business experiences with him; otherwise he wouldn’t still be in business. So if you’re going to do business with him or his shop, make sure you get a receipt and get some kind of guarantee. Just because it’s a business, it doesn’t mean that this stuff is automatically implied. I learned that the hard way.